Chamba Valley Famous For Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Himachal Pradesh

Chamba, the land of antiquity, art and scenic beauty, is a wonder in
itself for every visitor. Situated at the height of 996 m. above sea level
on the south bank of the Ravi River, the ancient Pahari capital was founded
in 920 A.D. by Raja Sahil Verma, who named it after his favourite daughter
Champavati. Most visited for famous Lakshmi Narayan Temple dedicated to Lord Narayan.

Chamba valley is noted for the magnificence of it's scenery-touching the
fringe of the Shivaliks and having three well-defined snowy ranges, the
Dauladhar, constituting the outer Himalayas, the Pir Panjal or the mid
Himalayas, and the Zanskar range or the inner Himalayas.

Chamba's serene beauty makes it the ideal holiday retreat. The land of
mystic serenity, enchanting vistas, refreshing air, lofty mountain passes
and slopes, provides ample opportunities to nature lovers. The place and
adjoining areas have immense scope of leisure pursuits. The waters, hills,
plateaus and the snowline, which can be sighted from any of the buildings
and the main square, make a spectacle that can become an inspiration for
many painters and poets.

Prime Attractions of Chamba

Bhuri Singh Museum

Bhuri Singh Museum was
opened on 14th September 1908 and is named after Raja Bhuri Singh who ruled
Chamba from 1904 to 1919. This museum is very near to Chamba's Chaugan.

Champawati Temple

Close to the royal palace at
Chamba, there is a stone sikhara temple dedicated to Goddess Champavati.
Tradition holds that the town of Chamba was named after her.

Chaurashi Temple

The main temples of Lakshmi
Devi, Ganesh and Manimahesh and Nar Sing in Bharmour are known as Chaurashi
temples.

Kalatope Khajjiar Sanctuary

It's possible to
trek 30-km from Dalhousie to Chamba along the eastbound road from Gandhi
Chowk. A short but steep ascent leads to the Kalatope wildlife sanctuary,
from which one can walk into a pleasant track.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple

To the north of the
palace at Chamba, there is a group of six stone Sikhara temples arranged in
a row from north to south. Three of these temples are dedicated to Vishnu
and three to Shiva. The northern most is that of the Lakshmi- Narayana- the
principal temple of Chamba.

'Markual' or
'Marul'-ancient Markul is a small village in Chamba-Lahaul at the junction
of 'Miyar Nala' with the Chandrabhaga.

Pangi Valley

Pangi Valley in the upper part of
Chamba District is a remote world in itself. This hidden valley located
between Pir Panjal and the Greater Himalayan Zanskar ranges is cut off from
the rest of the world.

Parbati Valley

Hemmed in by giant pinnacled
mountain peaks, the Parbati valley, twists west from the glaciers and
snowfields on the Spiti boader. Picturesque hamlets perch precariously on
its sides, amid lush terraces and old growth pine forests

Rang Mahal

In Chamba, situated the beautiful
Rang Mahal palace, which was built by Raja Umed Singh in the mid 18th
century. The palace walls here are lined with exquisite examples of wall
paintings in the Punjab Hills style, all of which depict the life and times
of Lord Krishna.

Shakti Temple

The villages of Chatrari possess
a famous Devi temple, founded by Meruvarman about A. D. 700 and the oldest
one in area.

Chamba

Chamba valley is also known as Ravi
valley. The scenery is of a picturesque and varied character presenting many
delightful sights.

Chamba Minjiar Mela

The famous Minjiar fair was
started in 935 AD when the Raja of Chamba defeated the ruler of "Trigarta,"
now known as Kangra. On his return, a celebration was held, and he was
greeted by people with sherfs of paddy and maze.

Chamera Lake

In district Chamba, this is the
famous reservoir of the Chamera dam is built over the river Ravi, offering numerous
water sports facilities to the visitors.

Chaugan

This public promenade situated in the
heart of the town is a grassy maidan less than one-kilometre in length and
about seventy-five metres wide is a busy local trading centre for villagers
from the surrounding hills. Each year Chaugan is the site for the 'Minjar'
procession, a fair that lasts a week and comprise of large number of sports
and cultural activities.

Gaddis

The Gaddis are famous shepherds who move their
flocks of sheep from lower pastures in winter to higher ones after snow
melt. To them the Dhauladhars are not just a mountain range but like their
mother.

Ghadhasaru Lake

Ghadhasaru Lake lies in the
Churah tehsil of Chamba and is 24-km from Tissa, at an altitude of 3,470m.

Katasan Devi Temple

: Another popular temple of
the Chamba district, it is about 30-km from the town near Baira Siul
Project. This calm and peaceful spot is ideal for picnic lovers and one can
witness a full view of the valley from its premises.

Killar

Located in the deep narrow gauge of the
Chenab River, Killar can be reached through the Sach Pass and is also known
as a Trekker's Paradise.

Maharaja's Palace

This palace belongs to the
erstwhile rulers of Chamba and the most outstanding buildings in the town.
Of these, Rang Mahal or 'the Painted Palace', with towers on either side, is
undoubtedly the most interesting one. There is one room in the building, the
walls of which are painted with murals depicting episodes from the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata.

Narayana Temple

The Narayana temple at Udaipur,
is situated nearly 5-km below Chamba. There are two other images of white
marble, flanking Narayana, which represent Raja Uday Singh and his brother
Lachhman Singh.

The Chamba Rumal

The other craft of Chamba is
its unique embroidery style. The Chamba 'Rumal' or handkerchief about 2 to 6
feet in length is an important part of a Chamba bride's trousseau. This
handkerchief is also known as 'Kashida'. The embroidery is same on both
sides and the threads used are silken and colorful.

Excursion Tours from Chamba

Bharmaur Tour

Enveloped within the high mountain ranges, the original capital of Chamba
district, Bharmaur also known as Brahmour, is a famous little town.
Mainly popular for its several ancient temples and monuments that reflect
the towns glorious past. This small hill resort is famous for Manimahesh
Yatra tour and for many options availabe for taking up adventure trekking
trips on the higher ranges and mountain treks.
and for various marvelous treks in the region.

Bandal Valley

(83Km.)
A Travel tour of 27-km. from Salooni, this is where the Himachal border meets Jammu and
Kashmir. Bandal valley is also gaining much tourist importance due to a nice
view of snow clad peaks of Himalayan ranges.

Manimahesh Kailash Excursion Tour

(97Km.)
A tour of the glacier lake of Manimahesh will take you to towered mountain Manimahesh Kailash,
which is held sacred by the Shivites, who worship at the banks of lake and
follow the ritual of Manimahesh yatra or pilgrimage, following a
circumambulatory path around the dramaticrock and ice peak.

Salooni

(56Km.)
Situated at a height of 1,829m.(6,000 ft.) and 56-km away from Chamba,
Salooni offers a breath-taking panoramic view of the snow-covered hills and
peaks.

Sarol

(11Km.)
23-km from Shimla and named after the little temple that stands on the
links, is a 9-hole golf course. Lord Curzon was so much enchanted by this
spot that he gave his daughter Alexandra, Naldehra as her second name.
During the monsoons, several golf tournaments are also held over here.

Fairs & Festivals - Chamba

To make your
holidays in Chamba more exciting and full of fun then plan your tour during
the famous Chamba's annual Suhi Mata Festival, which lasts for four days in early April, commemorates
Rani Champavati, the wife of the 10th century Raja Sahil Verma. Only women
and children participate in the festival, dancing on the Chowgan before
processing with an image of Champavati and banners of the Rajput solar
emblem to the Suhi Mata temple. Manjar Fair is a week long festival of
singing and dancing at the start of August to celebrate the growth of maize.
The Manimahesh Yatra to the sacred tarn of Manimahesh is held immediately
after the festival of Janamashtmi. Chrewal, Badronjo or Patroru is a
festival of fire and flowers and a time for purification of the fields
during the month of August. In same month several places in Chamba
celebrates the Gugga fair, which is connected with the worship of 'Gugga',
the Nag Devta.

How To Get There - Chamba

By Road

Daily bus service is available for
Dalhousie and jeeps on hire are also available but it is relatively
expensive.

By Air

The nearest airport is at Gaggal in
Kangra valley, 180 km from Chamba. Indian Airlines operates its flights on
the Delhi-Dharamsala sector.

By Rail

Chamba town is 122-km from Pathankot,
the nearest broad gauge rail head, which is linked by direct trains to
Amritsar, Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta. Chamba is well-connected with places
in and outside the state.

Hotel Resorts and Places To Stay in Chamba

The accommodation in
Chamba provides a taste of the village holiday in the traditional mud and wood
building among rolling hills and terraced fields. The slightly shabby Hotel
Chamunda, Jimmy's Inn, is situated opposite the bus stand. Chamba's best
hotel is HTPDC Hotel Iravati on the northwest edge of the Chowgan.

Climate - Chamba

Chamba is 726m. above sea
level. The maximum temperature of Chamba town in summer is around 36
Celsius. Winter temperature comes down to almost OoC. Heavy woollens are
required in winter and light woollens or tropical clothes in summer.
The best time to visit Chamba is from March to September when the whether
is pleasent and ideal for trekking tours and mountaineering and taking up
of other adventure sports. During winter times from November to March, the
Chamba valley offers many travel packages for taking up winter spots
tours like skiing or mountain trekking.